The Pickpocket
by exodeissus
Summary: Emma was a runaway, living on the streets, until the day she met the Mercer Brothers and Evelyn took her in. Emma's aunt was able to get her back, and moved her far from the Mercers. Four years later, Emma and Jack are in the same Place again. But will they meet? Will they recognise each other?
1. Remembering

_Bobby put two fingers under Emma's chin, forcing her to look at him._

_"Don't worry, kiddo," he said softly. "We'll stay in touch. I promise." Emma angrily wiped her eyes. She didn't like crying. Mercers didn't cry._

_"But you won't pick me up after school anymore," she whined. _

_"You don't know that. I can visit you at your aunt's. We all can," Bobby tried. But they both knew that was a lie. Her aunt hated the Mercers._

_"I don't want to go with her," Emma said._

_"We can kidnap you and take you back home," Jack suggested. _

_"Yeah, if anything happens, we'll come get you," Angel promised. Emma bit her lip. She was going to miss her brothers terribly, yet she knew she had no choice._

_"I'll call you every day!" she said._

_**Four years later, London: **_

"Emma! Stop daydreaming!" Emma's aunt said. "We still have five presents to buy!"

"Christmas is like a week away, Eva," Emma sighed. "Why can't we leave those for later?"

"I like doing things in time, you know that!" Eva replied. Yes, Emma knew. She, on the other hand, did everything the last minute, which often got her in trouble with her aunt.

"Now, I'll go look for a nice jumper to give to your father, and you go get that circle-thing your cousin asked for."

"You mean the hula-hoop?" Emma asked innocently, knowing that her aunt hated being corrected.

"Don't be so cheeky, Emma," Eva warned. Emma turned around without a word, her back still hurting from yesterday's punishment. Not that Eva was so bad. She tried to be nice but Emma knew she wasn't the easiest person to get along with. Though Evelyn had always been nice. Emma swallowed. She wasn't supposed to think about the Mercer's. It had been four years already, they had surely forgotten about her. When she was little, she used to think of them as her protectors, but ever since her aunt had gotten her back, they hadn't been there to protect her. She waited months for them to come and take her back home, but they never did. Emma sighed. They were selling hockey gear in the store where she was and she instantly thought of Bobby as she ran her fingers over one of the sticks.

"Where are you, Bobby?" she asked softly.

**Boston:**

Bobby lighted up a cigarette as he listened to his friend. He didn't smoke, but he hadn't seen his family for almost a year now and the smell reminded him of his brother Jack. Curtis waved his hands around as he explained his idea to Bobby. It was a damn fine idea, if it worked. They could make some money, good money. If it didn't work, on the other hand, they would be even more broke than they were now.

"So where is the place?" Bobby asked. He was only a bit worried. Curtis friend was selling an old building and was offering it to Bobby and Curtis at a good price. If things went as they were hoping, they could open up a club. The only downside to it was, in Bobby's mind, that Curtis' friend usually made things sound a whole lot better than they were.

"Oh, well you see… what's important is if we can draw people to it, the location isn't…"

"Jesus, man," Bobby sighed. "Just tell me where the damn thing is, alright?" Curtis opened his mouth but was interrupted again, this time by Bobby's phone ringing.

"What?" Bobby said into the phone.

"Hey man, it's your brother. Remember me?"

"Jackie-boy," Bobby smiled, "What you want?" Bobby was happy to hear his brother's voice, and surprised that Jack had actually found his current number, but tough-talk had always been his way.

"I'm going away with the band," Jack said, "we're going on tour. I need someone to look out for my cat, and Ma can't."

"Hell no," Bobby exclaimed, "No way, Jackie, leave it with someone else." Jack sighed.

"There is no one else. I would have called Angel, but he's proven to be even harder to track down than you." If Bobby's pride was in any way hurt by the last sentence, he sure didn't show it.

"Call Jerry."

"Camille's allergic."

"Well give her a couple of pills, shave the damn thing, I don't know! But you damn well ain't bringing it here! Why don't you just take it with you?"

"I can't, Bobby. We're going to Europe." Bobby rolled his eyes. Oh, so **that's** why he called. Boy just wanted to show off.

"You even got a damn cat, you little fairy?"

"Nope," Jack chuckled, "Sorry, I just couldn't resist."

"Where in Europe?" Bobby asked.

"Paris."

"Cracker Jack, I'm proud of you. Guess that good-for-nothing guitar you got actually is good for something."

"Yeah, I guess. Look, we're leaving tomorrow, just wanted you to know." Bobby smiled.

"Little sister growing up so fast!" he teased.

"Shut up, Bobby."

"Don't forget your toothbrush. Bring extra tampons!" Jack had hung up and Bobby put the phone aside.

"So, where is it?" he continued his conversation with Curtis, as if they had not been interrupted.


	2. The Pickpocket

**Seven years earlier, Detroit: **

_"__Bobby, this sucks," Jeremiah sighed. _

_ "__Yeah, Bobby," Angel agreed. "Let's go home, man!" _

_ "__Shut up!" The three boys were out in the Detroit winter looking for a vase to replace the one Bobby had accidently broken back at home._

_ "__You know Ma won't do anything," Jeremiah insisted. "She'll just tell us to replace it." Someone bumped into Bobby as he slapped Jeremiah over the head._

_ "__Man, you're such an idiot, Jerry! I know she won't do anything, but I want to replace it before she comes home, to surprise her!"_

_ "__Great surprise," Jeremiah said ironically. "Hey Ma, we broke your vase, but you know what? We replaced it. Surprise!" _

_ "__You know she…" Bobby stopped in the middle of a sentence, digging into his pockets._

_ "__What?" Angel said impatiently._

_ "__My wallet…" Bobby said looking down the street. "That freakin' kid stole my wallet!" The boys started running after the hooded figure in front of them who had earlier bumped into Bobby._

_ "__Hey, KID!" Bobby yelled. "Give me back my wallet, you little fucker!" The hooded figure turned around and then began to run. The kid's legs were short though, and Bobby was a fit twenty-two year old who had no problem catching up. They ran down a short alley and then into a dead end. The thief was trapped. Panicking, the kid started climbing up one of the walls, trying to escape. Bobby went for the kid but Angel put a hand on his arm._

_ "__Bobby." He said quietly. Bobby followed his eyes and let out a gasp. This wasn't some punk ass thief trying to get some cash for his dope, it was a little girl. She stared at them with her dark eyes wide with fear._

_ "__Hey, hey, we ain't gonna hurt you, okay?" Bobby said, putting out his hands with his palms up, like he had seen Ma do when comforting Jack. The girl didn't reply, she just pushed her back harder against the wall. _

_ "__It's okay, girl. I just want my wallet back, you can keep the money," Bobby offered. "It was a gift from my Ma, and she means a lot to me." The girl looked down at her hands and blinked. Bobby waited, but when she didn't move he tried again._

_ "__I promise we won't hurt you, just throw the wallet down." The girl slowly shook her head. Jeremiah sighed._

_ "__She don't have it no more, Bobby," he said. Jerry had pickpocketed a few wallets himself in his early years and knew how it worked. "Let's go back and see where she threw it." Bobby didn't move._

_ "__Is that right? Did you throw it away?" he asked. The girl nodded carefully, as if not sure whether he was now more upset or not._

_ "__Where?" Angel asked. The girl hesitated._

_ "__By the shoe store," she said. She had a funny accent but spoke so softly that Bobby couldn't place it. He started to move away but then turned back towards her._

_ "__You know, we got food at home if you're hungry," he said, damning himself. Bringing home strays was Ma's thing. He couldn't afford looking out for more people than his family, but something about this kid drew his attention. Maybe because she reminded him so much of Jack. She shook her head._

_"__You sure?" He tried. She shook her head more firmly. He sighed. "Fine. What's your name?"_

_"__Are you gonna call the police?" English. She sounded English. Bobby smirked._

_"__Nah, we don't get along so well. Besides, I said we were cool right? Just wanna know your name."_

_"__Emma."_

_"__Well, Emma, I'm Bobby. Bobby Mercer. These are my brothers Angel and Jerry. You ever get in trouble, little kid, you call us, okay?" She nodded slowly. Okay. _

_"__Hell was that?" Angel asked when they had gotten out of earshot. _

_"__What?" Bobby asked irritably._

_"__You being all warm and cozy, telling some kid to call you!" Angel laughed. Bobby frowned._

_"__C'mon, man, you telling me I didn't do the right thing? I bet she ain't got nobody to go home to."_

_"__I didn't say it was wrong. Just not your thing."_

_"__Oh, yeah? What's my thing then, smartass?" Bobby said, finding his thrown away, emptied wallet._

_"__Ah, you know, just beating the living shit out of the little punk motherfucker's ass, getting some blood on yo hands, breaking some bones, man! That's your style!" Bobby rolled his eyes._

_"__With a ten year old girl? I'm glad he didn't!" Jerry said. "Now let's get outta here!" Bobby was looking through his wallet with a thoughtful look on his face._

_"__What, man? She leave a bomb or something?" Angel teased. _

_"__She took the picture," Bobby said. He always carried a picture of his brothers and mother. _

_"__What picture?" Jerry asked._

_"__The family picture I always have in here. Why would she take that?"_

_"__Probably just fell out when she threw it. Good thing too, Jerry still had his afro back then," Angel said. "It's about time you got a new one." Bobby shrugged, trying to shake of the nagging feeling that something was not right._

_"__Alright you bitches, if Ma asks, the neighbor's cat broke that damn vase, you got me?"_


	3. The City of Love

"What about this one?" Jasmine said, holding up a blue top.

"It's ok, I guess", Emma answered. Jas rolled her eyes.

"It's okay? Come on, Emma, help me out. There's got to be something in here that looks good."

"They all look good on you, Jas, there just not my style", Emma said. They were packing to go to Paris and since Emma didn't own any "night-out clothes", Jas had offered some of hers.

"Then what's your style? Oversized hockey-shirts? I don't understand why you keep that thing, you don't even play hockey."

"It reminds me of someone", Emma said slowly. "The blue one will be fine, Jas, thanks."

"Are you sure? I've got a red, glittery thing somewhere in…"

"The blue one is great!" Emma interrupted. "It's really growing on me." Jas laughed.

"Fine. You get the blue one. Are you all packed and ready?" she asked.

"Yes", Emma said, "I'm good to go."

"Alright, then." Jas stood. "Paris, here we come!"

(*)

The airport was crowded and Emma instinctively grabbed Jas's hand.

"Don't get lost on me", she called out over the noise. Jas squeezed her hand back.

"Don't let go", she said. Jas had never even been in an airport before, she had never left England. Her eyes were wide as she looked around, and Emma had to smile.

"Come on", she said. "You can look all you want once we're past security."

Jas really did have a thing for shopping, Emma thought, as they were making their way through the duty-free shopping area. They had to stop at every window they passed.

"Look, they have purses!"

"Yeah, and they're too expensive, even here. Let's go find our gate, Jas, it's about to open."

"Okay", Jas agreed reluctantly. "Hey, I made a list of things we have to do once we get to Paris."

"Yeah?"

"Well, obviously we have to see all those famous monuments and that stuff and take loads of pictures to show everyone and fill our facebook pages with", she laughed, "but I also want to go see this band I've been listening to."

"Here we go", Emma said with a crooked smile.

"Don't start, Emma, these guys are really good! They're on Spotify and I've been listening to them for a while now. They're from New York and are playing going on tour to Paris! It's destiny!"

"Jas, don't we need tickets for that kind of thing?"

"We would, yeah, but they are doing some smaller concerts in some bars. It's super-secret and only a few people know."

"Then how do you know?"

"I'm an excellent stalker", Jas proudly announced. "No, but seriously, it's not even a concert they're just playing. It's not like they're huge or anything, so getting a concert ticket probably wouldn't be that hard, I just figured you wouldn't want to go to that."

"You were right."

"But we're going to the bar", Jas said. "I have to see them."

"Okay, fine. We'll go to the bar."

"Oh, and Jas?"

"Yup."

"They are like, really, really hot!"

(*)

"Are you ready yet?"

"Almost", Jas replied. They were in their hotel room, getting ready to go see Jas's beloved band. Emma was sitting on one of the beds, wearing the blue top she had gotten from Jas. She looked good in it, but she didn't feel very comfortable. As she stared at the wall in front of her she drifted off into her own thoughts.

She wondered what her life would have been like if she had never had to leave Detroit. The whole idea with the trip to Paris was to get away from her dad and aunt. They had never let her out of their sight before. She missed Evelyn, and she didn't even know why. They hadn't seen each other in years, and the Mercer's had probably already forgotten about the little stray they let into their lives so many years ago. Now she was eighteen, and was finally breaking free, the problem was just that she had nowhere to go. When she was little she used to dream about leaving for Detroit as soon as she was old enough, but now she was afraid. What was she going to say? Why would they want her there?

"Check me out!" Jas called out and appeared in the doorway. "What do you think? Hot enough to pick up one of the Spares?" Emma laughed.

"Definitely. But I'm not letting any of those guys get their hands on you. How do you know they're not psychos, the whole bunch of them."

"Because they're hot, and play good music. They're from New York!"

"Didn't you ever see Jennifer's body? I'm not going back to England with you as some possessed demon, Jas", Emma laughed.

"Would you rather have me dead then? You know she only turned evil because she lied about being a virgin."

"Her friend lied. And let her go off with those guys. I will beat you down if I have to."

"You're a real friend", Jas said seriously. "And I would do the same for you."

"Thank you. I guess we're ready to leave then."

"Aren't you wearing your hockey shirt over that?" Jas asked innocently.

"Shut up, Jas," Emma warned her, "Don't think I don't know that you brought a teddy bear with you."

(*)

"Jack, man, wake up." Somebody slapped Jack hard on his arm and he opened his eyes.

"The fuck you want, Kyle?" he said groggily. Somebody next to him moaned and he turned his head to the girl who lay passed out next to him. He had brought back with him last night "What time is it, man?"

"Three thirty. We gotta get down for that gig in a few hours. Time to wake up and say goodbye to your friend." Jack sat up and looked around the room. It was a mess, it really was. Five guys sharing a hotel room and getting drunk every night. Jack tried to wake up by shaking his head, and instantly a wave of nausea hit him.

"Damn", he muttered and let out a shaky breath. He stretched out his right arm behind him and grabbed the girl's thigh. She had a nice dragon tattoo on it.

"Hey, wake up", he said to her and shook her gently. "Time to go." The girl sat up and started saying something, but Jack just waved his hand in front of her to make her go quiet.

"I don't speak French, remember? You gotta go, I'm sorry." The girl smiled a little at him, she remembered, and proceeded to get dressed.

"Have a nice life," Kyle said as she left the room. "Okay, let's wake the others."

"Not until I've had my shower", Jack said. "I don't wanna have to fight them for it."

"Alright, Daddy Longleg, just hurry up."


	4. Breaking and Entering

"Bobby, where are you going?" Evelyn Mercer called. Bobby froze by the door.

"Out," he replied. Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, really? I could never have guessed. Out where?"

"Just this place I went to a couple of days ago," Bobby said avoiding eye contact.

"Are you going to look for that girl?" Evelyn asked. Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Damn it, Jerry," he muttered. "What girl?"

"You know exactly what girl I'm talking about. Angel told me about her, how she stole your wallet. What are you going to do?" Bobby sighed. There was just no use trying to lie to this woman. Especially with all the rats in the house.

"I just wanna talk to her. I mean she's living on the streets, Ma."

"Oh, and you're just going to offer her a home?" Evelyn said skeptically. Bobby scratched his head.

"Why not? You do that all the time. Besides, I was just gonna buy her some food or something." Evelyn smiled and shook her head.

"I think I will never fully understand you, Bobby Mercer," she said. Bobby looked confused. "Go find her. Do you need money?"

"Nah, I'm good," Bobby said. When Evelyn didn't say anything else he turned and left. He got in his wreck of a car quickly and pulled out with screeching tires. He felt sorry for the kid, he really did, but there were loads more where she had come from, and he knew it. What he really wanted to know was why she had snatched his picture. He couldn't think of any other reason than that it reminded her of a family, and that broke his heart a little.

"Now where the hell are you kid?" Bobby muttered to himself as he drove up the street where she had taken his wallet. He tried to remember where kids used to hang out around this neighborhood, but it had been too long since he had lived around here. He spotted some boys around her age and decided to get out of the car.

The boys were talking but instinctively turned quiet and suspicious when Bobby walked up to them.

"I'm looking for a girl," Bobby said.

"We're boys, sorry," one of them said. Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Do I look fucking blind to you, asshole?" he said. The boy frowned.

"Some girls your age hang out a few blocks from here", he said pointing Bobby in some direction.

"She ain't for me," Bobby sighed. "She's a friend. She's your age or younger. Her name's Emma." The boys shrugged. "She's got an accent." The boys knew her, he could see that by the look in their eyes.

"Sorry," another of them said. He started to back away from Bobby, signaling that the conversation was over.

"I ain't gonna hurt her," Bobby said. "I'm from around here. You know Jeremiah Mercer?" The boys shook their heads. Damn, they were too young. "Angel Mercer?" Suddenly, one of them nodded. "Yeah? He's my brother. Where can I find the girl? I got something of hers."

"She usually hangs out by the old factory," the boy who knew Angel said. Bobby knew what factory he meant. Angel had used to spend every day there, and Bobby would go insane about it.

"Thanks!" Bobby said, jogging back to the car.

The factory was nearby and Bobby got there in a few minutes. Now came the hard part. He didn't know anybody in there, and these kids were suspicious. If one of them recognized him, it would be from when he had gone in there to beat up Angel's sorry ass, and having barged in like that wouldn't exactly help his case. Right when he was sitting there, trying to figure out how to go about it without scaring the kid again, a small figure walked right past him. He instantly recognized the messy hair and the leather jacket. He opened the car door and yelled after her: "Hey, kid!" Emma turned around, and her eyes widened when she recognized the source of the sound. She started running, and Bobby went after her. She tried to jump over a few barrels and boxes to get away, but Bobby grabbed her jacket, causing her to trip and fall. A cough escaped her as she landed hard on her back, and Bobby crossed his arms, standing over her.

"I gave you back your wallet!" Emma whined.

"Yeah, I know. That's not why I'm here." Emma tried to get up.

"Then why?" she said. Bobby scoffed.

"I think you know why. You took more than just my money, kid." Emma pouted and crossed her arms, imitating Bobby.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"No."

"You took my picture."

"It must have fallen out."

"Stop lying to me!"

"Leave me alone!"

"Don't take my stuff!" Emma looked at Bobby for a second and then sighed.

"Okay," she said. "So I took it. I just wanted to remember what you looked like. In case I'd run in to you again."

"Liar. Give it back."

"I don't have it," Emma said.

"Like hell you don't! Just give me the damn picture!" Bobby was growing impatient. This kid sure knew how to get on his nerves.

"I don't," Emma insisted. "Not here."

"Then get in the car, we're getting it." Emma shook her head.

"No way."

"Get in the car, you little thief!"

"Why is it such a big deal? It's just a picture, I bet you have loads of them at home!" Emma said. Bobby sighed.

"It's the first picture I have with my youngest brother. Right when we got him."

"Yeah, right. I thought you said I was the liar. There was no baby in the picture! I've seen it, remember?"

"I'm not lying. I wasn't born into my family, none of us were. We used to be just like you before our Ma adopted us. My brother even used to hang out at this place," Bobby explained. Emma didn't look convinced, but at least she stopped trying to pull away from him.

"I'm not getting in the car with you," she said. "I'll walk."

"No, you won't," Bobby said. He knew where she was coming from, but he didn't want to leave his car by the factory and he sure as hell wasn't going to let her wander off. "I won't hurt you, I promise." Emma spit at his feet.

"You could swear on your mother's grave, I'm not getting in there!" she said.

"Look, kid, you don't have a choice! Get your ass in there or I'll carry you myself, but then I'm gonna be real pissed. What's it gonna be?"

"People know me. They'll notice me missing," Emma warned as she got on her feet.

"You won't be," Bobby assured her. As they got in the car, Emma curled up in her seat, nervously looking around.

"Buckle up," Bobby said. "And get your feet of the seat." Emma sighed and slowly did as he told her. As Bobby started the engine her hands quickly examined the areas around her. Bobby caught her movement in the corner of his eye and sighed.

"If you take something, I'm gonna come back for it," he warned. She said something under her breath. "What?"

"As if I didn't know that!" she said, louder. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window. After a little while she pointed out the window.

"Stop," she said. As they got out of the car she walked ahead of him, moving fast and not turning around to see if he was still with her. She probably didn't care, Bobby thought to himself. She stopped by a big container and Bobby saw some blankets lying on the ground.

"Is this were you sleep?" he asked.

"No," she said. She rolled her eyes when she saw Bobby's skeptical look. "This is where I stay but I don't sleep here. Here." She handed him the photo and Bobby put it in his back pocket.

"Then where do you sleep?"

"The fire escapes."

"I'm sorry?" Emma turned red and looked at Bobby's feet.

"That's where I sleep. The fire escapes. People sneak around here at night but they don't see me up there."

"I guess that's pretty clever, but why don't you stay at the shelters?"

"People."

"You don't like people?" Bobby asked. Man, this kid was strange, he couldn't get the hang of her.

"I like nice people," she said with a shrug. "Most aren't."

"Well today's your lucky day, kid, 'cause I am. Lemme buy you some lunch."

"No," Emma replied.

"No? Kid, you don't even have a roof over your head, you're not exactly in the position to turn down food."

"If I let you buy me food, I'll owe you. I don't wanna owe you."

"That's stupid reasoning," Bobby said, "but let's make a deal: you let me buy you some food and in return, you go see my Ma?"

"Why?" Emma said, nervously fiddling with the sleeves of her jacket. "Is she the weird type?"

"Why would she be the weird type?" Bobby asked, slightly offended.

"Because she wants to see me. What does she want with me?"

"I never said she wanted to see you, I said I wanted you to meet her," Bobby said. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she was close to giving in. "Come on, you gotta be hungry."

"Fine."

"Fine. Great. Get in the car."

"She's a charming girl," Evelyn said to Bobby that night.

"You think?" The meeting hadn't exactly gone as Bobby had planned, with Emma basically not saying anything and refusing to look up. "She didn't say anything."

"A little shy, perhaps. She's probably never had someone take her home before," Evelyn reasoned. Bobby scratched his head.

"Yeah, I know, Ma, but I thought… I thought…"

"You thought she was going to get all excited and happy and move in."

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't really work that way, huh?" Evelyn smiled at her son.

"No, sweetheart, it doesn't. But I'm glad you tried."

Several weeks later, one especially rainy afternoon, Bobby ran up the stairs, keys in hand, covering his head with a newspaper. He opened the door and suddenly found himself eye to eye with his mother.

"Jesus, Ma, you scarin' the crap outta me! It's pissin' rain outside, it's crazy. Angel home yet?" Evelyn quickly shook her head.

"Take your coat off and come with me," she said quietly. Bobby eyed her suspiciously.

"Something wrong?"

"You have a visitor," Evelyn said. Bobby frowned.

"Who?"

"A girl."

"Damn it, Ma! You shoulda told her I wasn't here. That I died or something."

"Don't you use that tone with me, Robert Mercer. It's not one of your flings. Just come with me." She led the by now very confused Bobby into the laundry room and pointed towards a table.

"What is it?"

"Not a what," Evelyn reminded him, "a who. Look for yourself." Bobby bent down, kneeling in front of the table. The person under it coughed.

"Emma?" Bobby looked up at his mother, who nodded. "Hey, kid, what you doing under there?" The girl didn't reply, but she coughed again.

"I found her in the kitchen and she ran in here and hid. Now she won't come out," Evelyn said. "I thought she might trust you more. I'll be in the kitchen."

"I wasn't going to steal anything," Emma muttered.

"That's okay. What were you doing here?" Bobby asked. He was trying to sound as harmless as possible, without sounding as if he was making fun of her. "How'd you get in?"

"I wasn't going to take anything," Emma said again. She coughed.

"Yeah, you said that already. Why don't you come out? That cough doesn't sound too good. You sick?" Bobby tried to reach for her and help her out but all he got in return was a kick. "Okay, okay, calm down. No one is going to hurt you."

"Is she gonna call the police?" Emma asked carefully.

"No. You're not in trouble. Just come out, okay? You can stay here for the night if you want, it's fuckin' freezin' out there." Emma seemed to hesitate.

"I didn't come for that," she muttered, slightly embarrassed.

"How'd you get in?"

"Bathroom window", Emma said quietly.

"That's on the second floor," Bobby said. Emma rolled her eyes.

"I noticed."

"You getting cocky on me now?" Bobby laughed. Once again he tried to grab her arms, and this time succeeded in pulling her out. He sat her down on top of the table.

"How'd you get up there?" Emma shrugged.

"It wasn't too hard."

"You usually climb into people's houses? Why didn't you just ring the doorbell on the front door like a normal person?"

"Because she wasn't just gonna hand me the meds…" Emma's eyes widened and she quickly covered her mouth with her little hand.

"Ha!" Bobby exclaimed. "That's what you were doing here, huh? Looking for meds? Yeah, well with that cough, who can blame you?" Emma didn't answer him, she just kept staring.

"You coulda just asked and she would have given you some cough syrup or something," Bobby assured her. "Ma! Do we have cough syrup?"

"Yes, in the usual place," Evelyn replied from the kitchen. If she didn't like Bobby's shouting, she didn't mention it.

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do. I'll give you the meds, you'll eat dinner here and stay the night. If you're still sick in the morning, we'll take you to the doctor," Bobby said. Emma shook her head violently.

"No. I don't need a doctor. I don't even need meds, I'm feeling much better!" she said. Bobby laughed.

"Okay, no doctor, don't worry. But you'll stay the night. You can't sleep outside in this weather or you'll get pneumonia."


End file.
